Consent numbers steady

More than 30,000 new dwellings were consented in the year ending January 2017, up 11% on the previous corresponding period

A total of 1,752 new dwellings were consented in January, up 3.4% compared to the same month last year. The figure included 1,253 houses and 116 apartments.

Seasonally adjusted, the number of new dwellings consented rose 0.8%, a small recovery following two consecutive drops.

The trend for the seasonally adjusted number of new dwellings consented is now 15% below the 12-year peak recorded in August last year.

In the regions

In January 2017 compared to January 2016, the number of new dwellings consented was up in ten of the 16 regions, led by Canterbury (up 59 to 348; +20%), Otago (up 28 to 130; +27%) and Manawatu-Wanganui (up 25 to 68; +58%). Auckland, Gisborne, Marlborough, Southland, Taranaki, Wellington and West Coast were the other regions to record an increase.

The biggest decreases were in Waikato (down 60 to 201; -23%), Bay of Plenty (down 29 to 165; -15%) and Nelson (down eight to ten; -44%). Hawke’s Bay, Northland and Tasman also recorded a decrease in the number of new dwellings consented.

Consents for all buildings total $1.1bn

Including alterations, consents for all buildings totaled $1.1bn in January 2017.
This comprised:

$748m for residential buildings.

$338m for non-residential buildings.

In the year ended January 2017, consents for all buildings totaled $18.6bn (up 12% from the January 2016 year):